Former Governor Rafael “Lito” Coscolluela, head of the Aton Tamdon Utod Negrosanon party, yesterday said he is staying non-partisan in the 2013 elections in Negros Occidental.

Talk that he is supporting any group is just part of the psywar brewing now, he said.

“I am staying non-partisan because of my current engagement with CONFED,” he said, in apparent reference to his position as national president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations.

“My partymates are free to align with whoever they want, or to remain independent. There is no common stand,” he said.

His cousin, former mayor Esteban Coscolluela, who is running for mayor of Murcia under the United Negros Alliance ticket, yesterday said he will carry the UNA-ATUN banner in his campaign.

“I am sure if I am with the guv (Alfredo Marañon Jr.), Lito will be with the guv,” he said. But when asked if that meant an UNA-ATUN merger, he said, “You will have to ask Lito about that.”

The former mayor said the sugar industry is behind Marañon and it will be an easy candidacy for him because of the quality of service he has provided Negros.

Marañon was the only candidate who was able to beat Rafael Coscolluela, all other candidates fielded by the camp of Eduardo Cojuangco against him lost, he said.

With the forces who have been against Cojuangco aligned with Marañon and his allies, the governor has a good fighting chance, the former mayor said.

Esteban Coscolluela also said he will support the congressional bid of former Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson in the third district.*CPG

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